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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

BCS looks likely to have another messy outcome

By RALPH D. RUSSO Associated Press

Favorites fall in the Big 12, Florida swamps LSU and the end of result of Showdown Saturday was this: College football seems headed toward another impossible predicament when it comes time for the BCS to pick national championship game participants.

And to think, there’s still half a season left.

The Big Story

Take a look at the top of the polls. See No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Penn State. There’s a good chance none of those teams will be playing for the national championship.

The 2008 season might not match 2007 for unprecedented unpredictability, but it’s already become obvious that it’ll take a minor miracle for the race to the BCS title game to have a tidy outcome.

After the second weekend of the season in which three top-five teams lost, there are 10 undefeated teams left in major college football.

Three (Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State) play in the same division, and the best of those three — the Longhorns — have a murderous remaining schedule to navigate.

Congratulations on beating Oklahoma 45-35 and being No. 1, coach Mack Brown. Now go get your team ready for No. 11 Missouri, No. 8 Oklahoma State and No. 7 Texas Tech, the Longhorns’ next three opponents.

Five of the unbeaten teams (BYU, Utah, Boise State, Ball State and Tulsa) are from conferences without an automatic Bowl Championship Series bid, which means they don’t really even apply to the topic at hand … or do they?

BYU and Utah meet to end the season, a game the Mountain West is praying will essentially be for a BCS bid. Keep an eye out for the ninth-ranked Cougars. They’re already way ahead of the pace in the rankings of previous BCS busters. If ’08 reverts back to ’07, and the two-loss teams start piling up, talk about unbeaten BYU getting a shot at the national title will heat up.

That leaves Alabama and Penn State as the only perfect teams from BCS leagues without another undefeated team left on its schedule.

Out of the Southeastern Conference contenders, the Crimson Tide have the most favorable schedule — for whatever that’s worth these days. Alabama is at LSU on Nov. 8. Its other road game is against unraveling Tennessee. Then there’s that SEC title game.

Penn State plays at Ohio State in two weeks, by far it’s toughest remaining test. And with no conference title game, the Nittany Lions are probably in the best shape to stay unbeaten and reach the national championship game in Miami.

And if you listen closely, you can hear fans in the SEC and Big 12 groaning about the mere thought of having another Big Ten team playing for the national title.

Bad timing for Tubby

Auburn couldn’t have picked a worse season to have a bad season, one that took another ugly turn Saturday when Arkansas beat the Tigers 25-22 on the Plains.

That came after the firing of Auburn offensive coordinator Tony Franklin last week.

Alabama coach Nick Saban had already taken a huge step toward regaining control of the state from Tommy Tuberville and Auburn during last recruiting season, when the Tide cleaned up.

Now the Tigers seem on their way to a wasted season and Alabama is No. 2 in the country, pushing the pendulum further toward Tuscaloosa.